Electronics equipment is often mounted in racks or other such structures. Bezels attached to the mounting structures protect the front-facing portion of the equipment and allow technical personnel access to the equipment for maintenance and repair. Typically, the mounting structure includes vertical rails with latches to which the bezel is mounted. Latches of the bezel attach to the latches on the vertical rails.
A locking mechanism, often located midway along the length of the bezel, is often used to prevent unauthorized removal of the bezel from the rails. When locked, the locking mechanism prevents personnel from operating the bezel latches to release the electronics equipment from the rail latches.
Equipment manufacturers often include a badge or identity plate having the manufacturer's name or logo on the front side of the bezel. Sometimes the badge is located near the middle of the bezel. The location of the locking mechanism, if located near the center of the bezel, can interfere with this desired presentation of the badge. Consequently, if the badge is to remain centrally located, the location of the locking mechanism should be displaced to one side of the bezel. The displacement of the locking mechanism, however, can pose a difficulty in ensuring that the latch mechanisms on opposite sides of the bezel can be locked. Thus there remains a need for a bezel that includes a locking mechanism displaced from the front center of the bezel and can limit operation of both latch mechanisms when the bezel is locked. The present invention satisfies this need and provides additional advantages.